Reply to "18"/19" Wheel and Tire Advice"

My thoughts on the low profile tire issue:

I like the look of the low profile tires, so don't think I'm just old & stuck in the '70s or something! LOL . The black Pantera Michael posted pictures of is beautiful, just awesome.

My concern is that as the sidewall narrows, the possibility of tire pinching or wheel damage from a pot hole increases.

At this time, I would be comfortable with 17" wheels in the front & 19" wheels out back. Assuming you're running close to stock OD tires (25" front, 26.5" rear) that gives you approximately the same sidewall front & rear. I base my comfort level on the fact that I've hit some scary pot holes with my 245-40-17 front tires running 26 psi air pressure without sustaining damage (so far). So I'm comfortable with the 3.85" sidewall dimension of that tire (the tire is about 24.7" OD).

A 17" front wheel allows plenty of room for oversize (13") brake rotors.

Every once in a while I see a car on the side of a pot-holed road with a ruined tire & cracked wheel. The wheel / tire package is always an ultra low profile combination. The pot hole issue is my only concern about going any lower in profile, if you guys with lower profile tires / larger diameter wheels, like Michael, can report you're hitting pot holes at speed without damage, it would be nice to read your feedback.

Your friend on the PIBB, George